Conveyer apparatus with coating, shaking, heating, and cooling of metal panels



June 10, 1958 P. c. JAIME 2,833,023

CONVEYER APPARATUS WITH COATING, SHAKING, HEATING, AND

COOLING 0F METAL PANELS 3% 0 Q & [I k a INVENTOR.

E a n 0. d/I/ME.

ATTOPNE VS June 10, 1958 C. JAI .CONVEYER APPARATUS WITH COATING, SHAKING, HEATING, AND

Filed Oct. 28, 1955 bIH COOLING 0F METAL PANELS 3. Sheets-Sheet 2 F: g [I i 2 r g A i 5 Q Q 1 1 I f H k \1 w Q 15- 5 $1 Q m v a %1 & INVENTOR. w N pH/LL/P c. MAW/14E,

June 10, 1958 c, JAIME 2,838,023

CONVEYER APPARATUS WITH COATING, SHAKING, HEATING, AND

COOLING OF METAL PANELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. gs, i955 F AM FIG. 6.

coNvEYER APPARATUS WITH COATING, SHAK- ING,E HEATING, AND COOLING F METAL PAN LS Phillip C. Jaime, Granite City, Ill. Application October 28, 1955, Serial No. 543,356 3 Claims. (Cl. 118-57) The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a protective coating to metal panels.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying a succession of metal panels through a dip tank in a drying tunnel and one having means for causing the panels to shake off excess paint.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for applying a protective coating to metal panels which is automatic in operation requiring little attention, one which is simple in structure, sturdy in construction, and one which is economical to manufacture and assemble.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention Will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the apparatus of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevational view in cross-section of the apparatus of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical view greatly enlarged taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an end view greatly enlarged taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a further end view partly in cross-section as seen on line 55 of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view in cross-section of a portion of the protective coating receptacle with the conveyer installed thereon.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the present invention consists in an apparatus for applying a protective coating to metal panels and comprises a housing If having one side wall 11 provided with an inspection window 12 and a pair of doors 13. The housing has a discharge opening 14 at one end and supports an overhanging hood 15 at the other end.

Under the hood 15 is an open top receptacle or tank 16 having a conveyer 17 extending over the open top of the tank 16. The conveyer 17 has its intermediate portion 18 disposed below and spaced from the open top of the tank 16 With each end portion 19 and 20 sloping upwardly toward the open top. The conveyer 17 includes a shaft 21 disposed adjacent each end of the tank, each shaft 21 carrying on its ends sprocket wheels 22 over each of which travels an endless chain 23 having spaced projections 24 extending upwardly therefrom.

A tubular trackway 25 extends longitudinally through the tank 16 adjacent each side thereof and has upwardly sloping end portions 26 and 27 and a horizontally disposed intermediate portion 28. The chains 23 traverse the trackways and have their projections 24 extending through a slot 29 provided in the upper face of each of the trackways. The chains 23 form a conveyer and carry a metal panel, indicated by the reference numeral 39 in Figures 2 and 6. The metal panels are carried in succession down one sloping end portion 26 of the trackways across the horizontal portion 23 and up the other E Patented June 10, 1958 2 sloping end portion 27 to the top end of the tank 16 at which point the panels are discharged.

A trough 31 is positioned in tandem relation with respect to the tank 16 adjacent the end portions 27 of the trackways and supports another conveyer assembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral 32, and including endless chains 33 and 34 carried on sprocket wheels 35 and 36 at one end of the trough and on sprocket wheels 37 and 38 at the other end of the trough. Shafts 39 and '40, one at each 'end of the trough, carry the sprocket wheels 35 and 36, and sprocket wheels 37 and 38, respectively.

Spoked members 41 and 42 are positioned one on each side of the trough 31 and are mounted one on each of the ends of a shaft 43 extending transversely of the trough and having its ends journaled in the sides of the trough.

The shaft 21 of the conveyer 17 is connected to the shaft 39 of the conveyer 32 by means of a chain 44 carried on sprocket wheels mounted one each on the shafts 21 and 39.

Above and intermediate the spoked members 41 and 42 'is dep'endin'g'ly fixed a plurality of upright spaced fingers 45 having their upper ends secured to an overhanging brace 46 so that their lower ends intercept and frictionally engage the edges of the panels 30 .as the latter are carried, one by one, upwardly from the horizontal position in which they travel from one end of the conveyer 32 towards theother end, and are received between successive spokes 47 of the spoked members 41 and 42 and are carried to the vertical position and thence to an inverted horizontally disposed position on the conveyer 32 which then moves the panels to a discharge point.

Another conveyer 47a extends longitudinally through the housing '10 which constitutes a heating tunnel, the conveyer having prongs 48 which project upwardly from its upper flight and which receive the horizontally positioned panels 30 in succession at the point of discharge of the conveyer 32 and carry them in a vertically on edge position to a point adjacent the discharge openings 14 of the housing 10.

Exteriorly of the housing 10 adjacent the discharge opening 14 thereof is another conveyer 49 having one -'end adjacent the discharge point of the conveyer 47a and adapted to receive the panels 30 as they are discharged therefrom. A pair of fans 50 and 51 direct a blast of cooling air over the panels 30 as they emerge from the opening before they are manually stacked on the table 52.

At the front end of the apparatus, another conveyer 53 is placed to'receive the panels 30 placed manually thereon and to deliver them to the conveyer 17, a motor 54 beneath the conveyer 53 driving the conveyer '53 with a chain 56 running over a sprocket wheel 57 on a shaft 58 of the conveyer 53 and over a sprocket wheel 59 on the shaft 21 of the conveyer 17.

Intermediate the ends of and below the trackway 25 is positioned a pair of sprocket wheels 60, each extending into a slot in the adjacent trackway and engaged with the associated chain 23 so as to guide the lower flights of the chains 23 beneath the trackways.

The sprocket Wheels 60 are mounted on a shaft 61 and are driven by the chains 23. Another sprocket wheel and chain drive assembly 62 connects the shaft 40 of-the conveyer 32 to the first shaft 63 of the conveyer 47a.

A blower 64 ventilates the hood 15 and a pair of blowers 65 and 66 ventilate the heating tunnel formed bythe housing 11?.

A separate motor 67 connected to chain 68 drives the spoked members 41 and 42 so that its speed may be adjusted relative to'the width of the panelsbeing treated.

The apparatus of the ,present invention may be used to applya protective coating, paint, molten metal, or the like, to rift-panels formed of sheet metal bent 'telmve interlocking seams, the apparatus applying paint or other coating evenly to the panels, carrying them over the trough where they drain, raising them to a vertical on edge position, at which position the fingers 45 engage the edge of the panel, causing the panel to be sprung slightly between the spokes on the spoked members on each side of the trough, the fingers 45 releasing the panels and causing them to vibrate, shaking off excess paint into the trough. The panels are carried in succession through the heating tunnel in an on edge position where blasts of hot air are directed over the panels to dry the coating placed thereon.

'As received from the discharge end of the heating tunnel,

the panels are subjected to a cooling means before they are manually placed on a rack or table for storage or other use.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for' applying a protective coating to a metal panel, an open top receptacle adapted to contain a protective liquid coating, an endless conveyer positioned over the open top of said receptacle, said conveyer having an intermediate portion which is horizontally disposed below and spaced from the open top of said receptacle with each end portion sloping upwardly toward the open top of said receptacle and being adapted to carry a horizontally disposed metal panel down one sloping end portion, over said intermediate portion, up the other sloping end portion, and to discharge the panel from the top end of said other sloping end portion of said conveyer, a trough arranged in tandem relation with respect to said receptacle, a horizontally disposed second conveyer arranged in alignment with the top end of said other sloping end portion of the first-named conveyer and extending over said trough, said second conveyer being adapted to convey from one end thereof towards the other end a horizontally disposed panel discharged by said first-named conveyer and to discharge said panel from said other end, a spoked member positioned on each side of said second conveyer within said trough intermediately of the ends of the latter and mounted on said trough for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, said spoked member being adapted to intercept a panel conveyed on said second conveyer and to receive between successive spokes thereof the adjacent end portions of said panel and to shift said panel upwardly to a vertical position and then downwardly to an inverted horizontally disposed position, a plurality of upright resilient spaced fingers dependingly secured by their upper ends above and intermediate said spoked members and having their lower ends adapted to frictionally engage in turn the adjacent edge of said panel when said panel is in the vertical position, a heating tunnel having a discharge opening at one end thereof arranged with its other end adjacent said other end of said second conveyer, and a third conveyer having upwardly projecting prongs on its upper flight positioned within said tunnel so that one end of said third conveyer is in alignment with the adjacent end of said second conveyer, said third conveyer being adapted to receive said horizontally disposed panel from said other end of said second conveyer, turn said panel to the vertical position, carry said panel to said discharge opening in said housing, and to discharge said panel in a horizontal position.

2. In an apparatus for applying a protective coating to a metal panel, an open top receptacle adapted to contain a protective liquid coating, an endless conveyer positioned over the open top of said receptacle, said conveyerhaving an intermediate portion which is horizontally disposed below and spaced from the open top of said re ceptacle with each end portion sloping upwardly toward the open top of said receptacle and being adapted to carry a horizontally disposed metal panel down one sloping end portion, over said intermediate portion, up the other sloping end portion, and to discharge the panel from the top end of said other sloping end portion of said conveyer, a trough arranged in tandem relation with re- 4 spect to said receptacle, a horizontally disposed second conveyer arranged in alignment with the top end of said other sloping end portion of the first-named conveyer and extending over said trough, said second conveyer being adapted to convey from one end thereof towards the other end a horizontally disposed panel discharged by said first-named conveyer and to discharge said panel from said other end, a spoked member positioned on each side of said second conveyer within said trough intermediately of the em of the latter and mounted on said trough for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, said spoked members being adapted to intercept a panel conveyed on said second conveyer and to receive between successive spokes thereof the adjacent end portions of said panel and to shift said panel upwardly to a vertical position and then downwardly to an inverted horizontally disposed position, a plurality of upright resilient spaced fingers dependingly secured by their upper ends above and intermediate said spoked members and having their lower ends adapted to frictionally engage in turn the adjacent edge of said panel when said panel is in the vertical position, a heating tunnel having a discharge opening at one end thereof arranged with its other end adjacent said other end of said second conveyer, a third conveyer having upwardly projecting prongs on its upper flight positioned within said tunnel so that one end of said third conveyer is in alignment with the adjacent end of said second conveyer, said third conveyer being adapted to receive said horizontally disposed panel from said other end of said second conveyer, turn said panel to the vertical position, carry said panel to said discharge opening in said housing, and to discharge said panel in a horizontal position, and a fourth conveyer arranged in end to end rela tion with respect to said third conveyer with one end adjacent said discharge opening.

3. In an apparatus for applying a protective coating to a metal panel, an open top receptacle adapted to contain a protective liquid coating, an endless conveyer positioned over the open top of said receptacle, said conveyer having an intermediate portion which is horizontally disposed below and spaced from the open top of said receptacle with each end portion sloping upwardly toward the open top of said receptacle and being adapted to carry a horizontally disposed metal panel down one sloping end portion, over said intermediate portion, up the other sloping end portion, and to discharge the panel from the top end of said other sloping end portion of said conveyer, a trough arranged in tandem relation with respect to said receptacle, a horizontally disposed second conveyer arranged in alignment with the top end of said other sloping end portion of the first-named conveyer and extending over said trough, said second conveyer being adapted to convey from one end thereof towards the other end a horizontally disposed panel discharged by said first-named conveyer and to discharge said panel from said other end, a spoked member positioned on each side of said second conveyer within said trough intermediately of the ends of the latter and mounted on said trough for rotational movement about a horizontal axis, said spoked members being adapted to intercept a panel conveyed on said second conveyer and to receive between successive spokes thereof the adjacent end portions of said panel and to shift said panel upwardly to a vertical position and then downwardly to an inverted horizontal disposed position. a plurality of upright resilient spaced fingers dependingly secured by their upper ends above and intermediate said spoked member and having their lower ends adapted to frictionally engage in turn the adjacent edge of said panel when said panel is in the vertical position, a heating tunnel having a discharge opening at one end thereof arranged with its other end adjacent said other end of said second conveyer, a third conveyer having upwardly projecting prongs on its upper flight positioned within said tunnel so that one end of said third conveyer is in alignment with the adjacent end of said second conveyer, said third conveyer being adapted to receive said horizontally disposed panel from said other end of said second conveyer, turn said panel to the vertical position, carry said panel to said discharge opening in said housing, and to discharge said panel in a horizontal position, a fourth conveyer arranged in end to end relation with respect to said third conveyer With one end adjacent said discharge opening, means arranged in superimposed relation with respect to said fourth conveyer for directing a blast of cooling air over said fourth conveyer, and a fifth conveyer arranged longitudinally of said first-named conveyer with one end adjacent to the end of said first References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,489,393 Milne Apr. 8, 1924 1,692,286 Brogden Nov. 20, 1928 1,696,894 Labombarde Dec. 25, 1928 2,281,724 Snyder May 5, 1942 2,321,397 Koch June 8, 1943 2,694,648 Muench Nov. 16, 1954 2,722,197 Robert Nov. 1, 1955 

